\[v_x = v_0 \cos(\theta)\]
Variables
vxhorizontal velocity (m/s)
v0initial velocity (m/s)
thetalaunch angle (rad)
Description
What is this formula?
This equation calculates the horizontal component of the initial velocity in projectile motion.
When to use it
Use this formula when decomposing projectile velocity into horizontal and vertical components.
Example
If a projectile is launched at 40 m/s with an angle of 30°:
vx = 40 × cos(30°) = 34.64 m/s
Applications
Projectile analysis, ballistics, engineering simulations, sports physics, and motion decomposition problems.